Smoking pipe reamer



DEC. 24, 1940. R. COELHQ. 7 2,226,114

SMOKING PIPE REAMER Filed Oct. 25, 1959 INVENTOR.

177/711! fi. Coal/70 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE,

SMOKING PIPE REAMER.

Arthur Ptl Coelho, New York, N. Y. Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,721

5 Claims. (or. 131-246) The purpose of this invention is to provide a smoking pipe reamer that is relatively expansible in that it readily adjusts itself to diiierentcurvatures and diameters of pipe bowls as it is used,

5 and being made in the form of a conical spiral by a continuous process of rotation will scrape the so called cake that forms onthe inner surface of the walls of the bowl of a pipe.

The invention is a conical shaped spiral made of steel wire or metal ribbon, the outer surface of which is provided with jagged picks, or sharp edge teeth, and which, because of the gradually increasing size of the successive coils, will automatically adjust itself to fit the hollow of the bowl of the ordinary smoking pipe.

Various types of pipe reamers have been provided, both in the form of scrapers and cutting blades, but these fit only the hollow of certain size bowls, giving no service when, due to the process of cleaning the pipe, the diameter of the hollow of the bowl far exceeds the fixed diameter of the reamer.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a smoking pipe reamer that readily adjusts itself to the curvature of the inner walls of a pipe.

Another object is to provide a pipe reamer in the form of a conical spiral which may be made of wire or metal ribbon.

Another object is to provide a pipe reamer that readily adjusts itself to the walls of a pipe which may be operated by hand.

A further object is to provide means for forming a self adjusting pipe reamer from wire or ribbon.

And a still further object is to provide a pipe reamer in the form of a conical spiral which is adjustable to different sizes, and of a simple and economical construction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a smoking pipe reamer made of wire or metal ribbon coiled in the form of a conical spiral or screw with the ends shaped to form a handle, 45 and with the body portion flexible so that it may correspond with the inner surface of the bowl of a pipe.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description 50 taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing the reamer in its most simple form as it would appear in use.

Figure 2 shows an erid view of the reamer shown in Figure 1.

55 Figure 3 illustrates a reamer of an alternate design with part broken away in which the body portion is formed of metal ribbon, the sharp edges of which provide the scraping means.

Figure eshows another alternate design also with part broken away in which square metal 5 ribbon is used.

In the drawing the rearner is shown as it may be made wherein numeral I indicates the conical spiral body of-the reamer, numeral 2, the stem, and numerals 3 and 4 parts forming a handle. 10

In the design shown in Figure 1, the reamer is formed of round wire with the ends of the wire bent around to form the loops 3 and 4, and with the intermediate part coiled to form the part I, with the outer end slightly smaller than the end 5 adjacent the handle, forming a conical shaped spiral, and with the periphery thereof adapted to adjust itself to correspond with the inner surface of the bowl of a pipe, which is indicated by the numeral 5. The last coil of the part I is bent 20 under and extends upward through the center forming the stem 2, and the first coil at the opposite end is wrapped around the stem, and the end therefrom extends upward forming the loop 3 of the handle. The parts may, however, be 25 formed in any other manner. The outer surface 6 of the wire in the spiral may be notched or knurled, similar toa file to facilitate cleaning.

In the design shown in Figure 3 the part 1, similar to the part I, is formed of metal ribbon 30 8, and this is provided with a stem 9 and a handle l0, and in the design shown in Figure 4 the part II is formed of rectangular shaped ribbon l2, and this is provided with a stem l3 and a handle [4. It will be understood, therefore, 35 that the cross section of the material of which the reamer is formed may be of any shape.

It will be understood that other changes may be made in the reamer without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes 40 may be in the use of a handle of any other type or design, another may be in the use of a different number of coils in the spiral of the device, and still another may be in the use of other means. for connecting the handle to the body of the device.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The device may be sold as a separate unit, or with a pipe, or with tobacco, or used as a premium. In use it may be inserted in a pipe bowl and turned by gripping the handle, and as it is held in the bowl and turned it will remove material from the wall of the bowl and at the same time adjust itself to correspond with the curvature of the inner surface of the wall, thereby cleaning the entire area of the inner surface. Pressing against the handle or end of the spiral will cause the coils to expand in larger bowls, whereas it may be used in smaller pipes without compressing, and therefore one size will clean substantially any pipe. It will be noted that as the coil is compressed in expanding to fit a bowl, the loop 3 will move downward as indicated by the dotted lines, and this may be moved inward and outward to compensate for the unevenness of the inner surfaces of different pipe bowls, insuring positive cleaning of substantially any pipe.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A pipe reamer comprising a single wire strand folded upon itself intermediate of its length, one portion of the fold providing a substantially ring like formation at its upper end and a shank extending downwardly therefrom, and the second portion of the folded wire providing a spiral having one end thereof adjacent and connected to the lower end of the shank and the upper end thereof encircling the shank and provided with a ring like member in substantially the same plane as the former ring like member, said spiral conforming substantially to the shape of the interior of a pipe bowl.

2. A pipe reamer comprising a straight shank, a spiral having one end thereof merged into said shank, and the opposite end thereof encircling the shank, said shank and spiral having at the upper ends thereof ring like formations positioned on the opposite sides of the center of the shank, and said spiral conforming substantially to the shape of the interior of a pipe bowl.

3. A pipe reamer as described in claim 2, in which the spiral is of a conical shape with the larger end thereof adjacent the said ring like formations.

4. A pipe reamer as described in claim 2, having scraping means on the periphery of the spiral.

5. A pipe reamer comprising a straight shank, a spiral having one end thereof merged into said shank, and the opposite end thereof encircling the shank, said shank and spiral having at the upper ends thereof ring like formations positioned on the opposite sides of the center of the shank, the said ring like formation of the spiral being movable on the shank for adjusting the peripheral surface of the spiral to the hollowness of the pipe, the spiral comprising a series of coils of increasing diameter adapted to be compressed into the bowl to thereby facilitate scraping the interior walls thereof.

ARTHUR R. COELHO. 

